Daley’s standout faculty

USC's dean chooses six of her best

“I never want a faculty member that I wouldn’t want our students to become,” explains Elizabeth Daley, naming six standouts:

TODD BOYD

Professor, Critical Studies

“Todd is what I consider a public intellectual,” Daley says. “He’s a published scholar, but he also worked on ‘The Wood,’ and he has a real sense of the cultural issues surrounding American film. His work is very accessible.”

TED BRAUN

Assistant Professor, Screenwriting

Balances classroom theory with real-world projects, such as award-winning docu “Darfur Now.” “Ted really represents someone who’s doing important personal work and models that for the students,” Daley says.

LINDA BROWN

Associate Professor, Cinematography

“She has been terrific about moving everybody, faculty and students, into the digital world,” Daley says of one of two leading female cinematographers teaching at USC (the other, Judy Irola, heads the department).

TRACY FULLERTON

EA Endowed Chair, Interactive Entertainment

A USC grad dedicated to advancing the theory of gameplay, Fullerton assigns students to design games on paper first. “She doesn’t let them touch the computer until they’ve figured out how it will work,” Daley says.

KATHY SMITH

Chair, Animation & Digital Arts Division

Under Smith’s guidance, animation students apply their skills to fields beyond entertainment, such as creating

3-D models of the ocean floor around Catalina. According to Daley, “They go into all sorts of interesting areas.”

LAWRENCE TURMAN

Chair, Peter Stark Producing Program

“Larry was one of the first people I feel very proud to have gotten here,” Daley says of the producer, whose credits include “The Graduate” and “Running Scared.” “Every year, he just turns out another amazing batch.”